[ChevyOptra5]

Union members set up a blockade outside General Motors' Canadian headquarters on Wednesday, a day after the automaker announced it was halting production at four factories across North America.
Between 20 and 30 trucks have blocked the entrance to GM's corporate headquarters in Oshawa, Ont., Canadian Auto Workers Local 222 president Chris Buckley told CBC. About 100 union activists and local leaders are gathered at the site.
"Nobody is going into GM’s head office as long as we're standing here today," he said, noting that workers have been allowed to cross the blockade on foot, but not with their vehicles.

continued at link
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/04/gm-blockade.html

 

[FenwickHockey65]

I knew crap like this was going to happen...yesterday was just a massive truckload of fail for GM...

 

[BurnOut]

Sounds to me like the folks that work in that building need to call the city and have those vehicles towed.

Behavior like this further illustrates that the CAW is a leach that GM needs to get rid of for good.

 

[ChevyOptra5]

That article says that they are letting people in on foot but the news just said that nobody is being allowed in. They are actually checking people's IDs to see where they work.

I can understand the workers frustration and disappointment at the closing of the plant. But, they must see and realize that GM has been losing billions of dollars over the past few years. To continue building vehicles that are no longer in demand just to appease a few thousand workers will only weaken GM further. What will these workers say if GM went bankrupt? "We saw it coming?"

On the other hand, I am opposed to shifting production from Canada/U.S to Mexico, even if it is cost beneficial. Its one thing to close plants because of lack of demand, its another thing to close plants and shift production elsewhere. Building the VUE and soon the Astra in Mexico, while cheaper, there are plenty of plants in Canada and the U.S. that could have been re-tooled to produce these vehicles.

 

[K-1]

Such hard-working and loyal employees those CAW folks are...

 

[smokyn454]

Geez, the company is going bankrupt. Is losing millions of dollars every month. It needs to make cuts somewhere ( any company would ) and its still gimme gimme gimme with the unions.

Why do they feel they are so entitled?

I am in the building business ( engineer ) and I know when the market slows down, I may not have any work. I don't feel entitled and feel I can't lose my job or I can get paid even though I don't work.

Leech is a great term. Get rid of them.

 

[Uzzy]

****ing Retards!

 

[shabodah]

I honestly don't understand how people were unprepared for any of this, nor how unskilled laborers who were making more than twice the normal wage found it so impossible to budget.

 

[member12]

Such hard-working and loyal employees those CAW folks are...

In all fairness, it was high gas prices that caused these aweful CAFE standards that will be the end of these old plants.

 

[GMfan1111]

The CAW also claimed that they were "betrayed". Give me a break GM is currently losing millions of dollars and they had to cut corners somewhere. The sale of trucks and especially SUV's are sharply decreasing so why continue to build a vehicle that no one will buy with the way current fuel prices are now.

However the shift of production to Mexico is a questionable move when there are dozens of plants in the U.S and Canada plants that could have been retooled for this purpose

 

[BurnOut]

However the shift of production to Mexico is a questionable move when there are dozens of plants in the U.S and Canada plants that could have been retooled for this purpose

If the quality is the same (or close) and costs are lower, there's nothing questionable about it.

GM (literally) can't afford to pay more than they absolutely HAVE to in order to get work done... not if they want to stay in business.

 

[SV6]

Gas 1.30 a litre and over priced trucks=plant closure..30 dollars a hour labour doesn't help.

 

[K-1]

However the shift of production to Mexico is a questionable move when there are dozens of plants in the U.S and Canada plants that could have been retooled for this purpose

Shift to Mexico? Isn't Silao being shut down too? I think everything is moving to U.S. production.

 

[2003tsport]

All this is going to do is ensure the american truck plants less lay-offs and keep us working more(not much more) but any little ripple like this help

 

[JackDye]

Shift to Mexico? Isn't Silao is being shut down too? I think everything is moving to U.S. production.

No, it was Toluca and only the medium duty trucks are being cut. That is next to nothing in terms of volume.

 

[Uzzy]

However the shift of production to Mexico is a questionable move when there are dozens of plants in the U.S and Canada plants that could have been retooled for this purpose

What is shifting to Mexico? Tolouca is being closed and Silao builds SUVs, Oshawa builds Pick-ups.

 

[jkennedy293]

Is it the 1930's already? When do they start carrying baseball bats, and assaulting people and property? These people need to grow up. If they kept Oshawa open, then they would have to close another plant. People are going to be out of a job either way. It sucks for them, but I'm sure it wasn't personal.

 

[K-1]

No, it was Toluca and only the medium duty trucks are being cut. That is next to nothing in terms of volume.

That could be right, my bad if so (I've only seen Silao mentioned). Ft. Wayne is still open and higher output than Oshawa anyway, plus no currency pains.

 

[K-1]

Is it the 1930's already? When do they start carrying baseball bats, and assaulting people and property? These people need to grow up. If they kept Oshawa open, then they would have to close another plant. People are going to be out of a job either way. It sucks for them, but I'm sure it wasn't personal.

That's what I'm waiting for too... buncha degenerates.

 

[JT87]

What is shifting to Mexico? Tolouca is being closed and Silao builds SUVs, Oshawa builds Pick-ups.

Silao is getting the Hybrid Pickups, and possibly the Diesel program as well.